Civilian Police Review Board members approved by Columbus City Council

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus City Council approved the appointments of 11 members to the city’s new Civilian Police Review Board during a meeting Monday evening.

The board will investigate allegations of misconduct and use-of-force incidents involving Columbus police officers.

After the protests last summer, Mayor Andrew Ginther said it was a priority to form an independent board that will oversee the police. In November, voters approved a change to the city’s charter to add the board.

Ginther issued the following statement following Columbus City Council’s approval of the board members:

“We are grateful to those who have chosen to serve and take on the responsibility, and for Janet Jackson, who has agreed to serve as chair. We have much work to do.”

“People are rightly so passionate about what’s happening in our community and I think the way to create trust is to lean into allowing people to speak their truth and have their passions,” Councilmember Elizabeth Brown said.

“Impartiality and objectivity is absolutely, unequivocally imperative and if you talk about a case before and a convey your feelings, before you’re actually put in a position to do that, that in my opinion excludes you,” Councilmember Mitchell Brown said.

The city reviewed more than 200 applications for the Civilian Review Board and interviewed more than 20 people.

In March, Ginther announced his nine appointments for the board. Two new appointees were announced Monday to bring the board to 11 members.

The members of the board include:

• Mark Fluharty, Executive Director of Central Ohio Labor Council
• Dr. Chenelle Jones, Assistant Dean/Chair of Public Safety Programs, Franklin University, member of Columbus Community Safety Advisory Commission
• Willard McIntosh, retired Columbus Division of Police officer
• Pastor Rich Nathan, Vineyard Columbus
• Kyle Strickland, attorney, Kirwan Institute For The Study Of Race And Ethnicity at the Ohio State University; Deputy Director of Race and Democracy, The Roosevelt Institute
• Randall Sistrunk, Director of Business Development, Orange Barrel Media, member of Chief’s Advisory Panel
• Rev. Charles Tatum, the Good Shepherd Baptist Church
• Mary Younger, former Franklin County Public Defender
• Janet Jackson, former city attorney and Franklin County municipal judge, chair of Columbus Community Safety Advisory Commission
• Aaron Thomas, ASPIRE Medical Research Program Coordinator at The Ohio State University College of Medicine (announced Monday)
• Brooke Burns, Chief Counsel, Juvenile Department at the Office of the Ohio Public Defender (announced Monday)

Ginther has said he wants the board to have subpoena and disciplinary power, but that cannot happen until the contract with the Fraternal Order of Police is changed.

Strickland, whose appointment to the board was approved after a vote of 5-2, posted the following statement on his Facebook page:

“Thank you. I am humbled by the support I’ve received from you all over the last few days and am honored to be confirmed as a member of the city’s inaugural Civilian Review Board. I hope this marks an important step toward independent civilian oversight and accountability. As this work moves forward, I’m committed to serving with integrity, speaking hard truths, and always declaring that Black Lives Matter in a society that often denies our humanity. I’m eager to get to the important work of representing the people of Columbus.”

Councilmembers Priscilla Tyson and Mitchell Brown voted no on Strickland’s nomination.

Strickland was criticized after he posted on Facebook about the deadly shooting of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant by a Columbus police officer.